Rotary engine.



PATENTE-D FEB. 17, 1903.

R. MAY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 720,598. r PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903.

R MAY. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1902. I

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

REYNOLDS MAY, OF WHITEWRIGHT, TEXAS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,598, dated February1'7, 1903.

Application filed July 31,1902- Serial No. 117,852. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REYNOLDS MAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Whitewright, in the county of Grayson and State ofTexas,have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to certain improvements in rotary engines, and hasforits principal object to construct an improved form of engine in whicha plurality of pivoted abutments are carried by the piston or drum andheld out in operative position'by the action of the steam, a furtherobject being to so construct and arrange the inner wall of the cylinderand the abutments as to lessen theamount of wear and produce aneasy-running highspeed engine.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange thedrum and abut-.

ments as to provide for the ready reversal of the engine, the activeabutments when the drum is rotating in one direction being locked ininoperative position when the drum is rotating in'the oppositedirection.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a form of enginewhich may be used as a compound engine, a plurality of engines beingmounted on the same shaft and the exhaust from the initial orhigh-pressure cylinder being conducted to the secondary or lowpressurecylinder.

With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended "claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse sectional elevation of arotary engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, illustrating the reversing-gear.Fig. 3 is an elevation illustratinga pair of engines connected to thesame shaft, one of such engines being driven by the exhaust-steam of theother. Fig. 4 is aview of a form of non-reversible engine, illustratinga piston-drum provided with a single pair of wings or blades. Fig. 5

is a detail View of the reversing mechanism which it is preferred toemploy. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the cut-off.

Similar-numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of'the drawings.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 the main shaft 10 is providedwith supportingbearings 11 and extends through the central portion ofthe cylinder 12, the greater portion of the inner wall of which isconcentric with the shaft and forms anapproxiinately annular steam-spacefor the working of the abutments. On the shaft is secured a cylindricaldrum 14, which makes contact at one point with the inner wall ofthecylinder, and from this point such inner wall extends onoppositely-curved lines 15 t0 the concentriqportion of the cylindenwall,the curvature being such that the two walls gradually merge into eachother in order to afiord a smooth surface for controlling the openingand closing movement of abutments carried by the drum and preventing anyshock or noise due to the formation of an abrupt shoulder or angle atthis point. The point of contact between the drum and the inner wall ofthe cylinder is such as to prevent the passage of steam from one side ofthe drum to the other, and in the cylinder isa steam-chest 17, havingtwo ports 18 and 18, leading, respectively, to the steam-space onopposite sides of such point of contact. The steam-chest'is connected bya feed-pipe 19 to a boiler or other source of supply, and the flowthrough the ports 18 and 18 is governed by a crescentric valve 20,arranged in the steam shaft and having a single port 21, which'may bebrought into alinementwith either of the cylinder-ports to control thedirection of the engine or to stop the same.

In the periphery of the druin are formed two sets of recesses 22;and 23for the reception of swinging abutments 22 and 23, respectively, saidabutments having a substantially cylindrical pivotal portion adaptedtofit in the recesses and provided with curvedwings against which thesteam impingeswhe'nithe wings are projected intothesteam-space betweenthe drum and cylinder. The I outer wall of each wing is curved on an arccorresponding to the curvature of the peripheral wall of the drum andwhen in inoperative position remains flush with the surface of the drum.In the present instance I have shown each drum as provided with twopairs of oppositely-facing abutments and when the drum is rotating inone direction one pair will be free to move outwardly into contact withthe inner wall of the cylinder, while the opposite pair will be lockedin the receiving-recesses, and thus retained in inoperative position.When the direction of the engine is to be reversed, the inoperativeabutments are unlocked, while the previously-operated abutments areforced into and locked Within their receiving-recesses.

The cylinder proper is in the form of a stationary ring having near eachend an annular groove 26, into which extend disks 27, secured to androtating with the main piston or drum. In order to form a steam -tightjoint between the disks and cylinder, I employ packing 28 in the annulargrooves 26, such packing being held in place by screws 29, pressing oncurved bars or plates 30, arranged in the inner portion of each of thegrooves and adapted to force the packing into intimate contact with thedisks.

The wing portions of the abutments are of a length equal to that of themain body of the piston or drum, terminating at the inner walls of thedisk 27; but the cylindrical portions of each abutment extend throughthe disks at the opposite ends of the drum and are connected at one endto a reversing mechanism which serves to move one or other set ofabutments to operative position.

To the end of each abutment is secured a projecting block 32, having oneface on a radial line from the center of rotation of the abutment, andat the center of rotation is secured a stud or pin 33, on which ispivoted a lever 34, which may be moved into contact with the block 32and adjust the abutment to inoperative position, with its wing seatedwholly Within the recess in the periphery of the piston.

In the main shaft or in a sleeve rigidly secured thereto are a pair ofhelical grooves 35, into which extend studs 36, mounted on arms 37,projecting from a revoluble sleeve 38, mounted on shaft. The sleeve isprovided with a plurality of parallel ribs 39, forming gear-teethadapted to engage with a pinion 40, mounted on a shaft 41, adapted tosuitable bearings on the supporting-frame and provided with an operatedhandle 42. The turning of the gear will move the sleeve 38longitudinally of the shaft without regard to the circumferentialposition of the latter, and the sleeve will be rotated on the shaft byreason of the engagement of the studs 36 in the helical grooves 35. Thearms 37 extend through guiding-slots 43 in a loose ring 44, carried bythe shaft, said arms serving to ro tate the ring, but being movablelongitudinally without effecting the corresponding movement of saidring. On one of the end disks 27 of the drum are guides 45 for thereception of rods 46, connected at one end to the arms 34, and at theopposite end being connected by links 47 to lugs 48 or the ring 44.\Vhen the engine is to be reversed, the gear 40 is rotated in the properdirection, causing a longitudinal movement of the sleeve 38. Theengagement of the studs 36 in the helical grooves 35 causes a partialrotation of the sleeve and the ring 44 and draws all of theconnecting-rods 46 and the arms 34 in the direction of the shaft orforces them away from the shaft in accordance with the initial position.If the parts be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2 and the various armsbe drawn in the direction of the shaft, said arms will engage with theblocks 32 of the abutments 23 and will draw said abutments into therecesses of the drum or piston. At the same time the corresponding arms34 of the opposite pair will be moved out of contact with the blocks 32of the abutments 22 and will permit the latter to assume operativeposition. The arms are moved to a position somewhat below the greatestinward position of the blocks 32 and permit free movement of theabutments and blocks as the abutments follow the contour of thecylinder.

WVhen the position of the abutments is changed, it is also necessary tochange the position of the valve 20, a reversing-lever 50 being securedto one end of the valve for this purpose.

The exhaust takes place at approximately two-thirds of the stroke, andin the wall of the cylinder are two exhaust-ports 51 and 52, controlledby valves 53, either of which may be opened to permit the escape ofsteam. Each valve 53 is secured to an operating-arm 54, and the latterare connected by'rods 55 to the lever 50, so that when one of theexhaustports is opened the other will be closed, the proper exhaust portbeing opened by the movement of the lever in shifting the crescentricvalve 20.

In order to operate the engine without permitting the continuous flow ofsteam through the cylinder, I preferably employ a cut-off of thecharacter more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6. In the main steam-supplypipe 19, leading to the reversing-valve member, is placed a valve-casing57, in which is arranged a revoluble valve 58, provided with a stem 59,extending out to a suitable stuffing-box in the valve-chamber, providedat its outer end with a pinion 60, intermeshing with a gear-wheel 61,carried by the main shaft 10, the gear-wheel being twice the diameter ofthe pinion, so that the valve will be revolved twice for each singlerevolution of the piston. The valve is provided with alongitudinallydisposed steam-passage 62, connected to radial ports 63,leading to the periphery of the valve, and the valve-casing is providedwith a curved slot 65, extending around about one- ICC IIS

half of the circumference of the valve in order to supply steam to thevalve and engine during one-half of a revolution of the valve andone-quarter of a revolution of the piston. The valve is so timed as tostart the ad mission of steam to the cylinder each time one of theabutmen ts passes one of the steam-passages 18 or 18 and to continue tosupply steam thereto until the piston has moved through aboutone-quarter of a revolution, the steam being then cut off and actingexpansively in the cylinder. The valve may be so constructed andoperated that steam will be supplied during one-third or any otherdesired part of a revolution or the construction may be modified to meetany special requirements.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a compound engine in which two drums arearranged on the same shaft and the exhaust from the high-pressurecylinder is conducted to the steam-chest of the larger low-pressurecylinder through a connecting-pipe 67, the expansive force of the steambeing fully utilized.

Fig. 4 illustrates a simple form of non-reversing engine in which only asingle pair of pivotal abutments are arranged on the drum,

' and in this case the steam-inlet port 19 is arranged tangentially tothe periphery of the drum in order to act with better effect on theabutments. In this construction, as well as in the constructionpreviously described, it is preferred to employ small springs 58 formoving the abutments out from the receiving-recesses, it being necessaryto employ some means for effecting an initial outward movement of theabutments in order that steam may act thereon.

While the construction herein described, andillustratedin theaccompanying drawings, is the preferred form of the device,it is obviousthat various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor detailsof the structure may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is 1. The combination ina rotary engine, of the cylinder, a revoluble drum therein, two sets ofmovable piston-heads or abutments carried by the drum, and a locking andreleasing device arranged externally of the cylinder and adjustable tolock either set of piston-heads in inoperative position and to releasethe other set for operative movement.

2. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having annulargrooves adjacent to the opposite ends thereof,a revoluble drum mountedin the cylinder and provided with peripheral recesses, disks secured tothe ends of the drum and extendinginto said grooves, movable abutmentsadapted to the recesses and having end portions projecting through saiddisks, said abutments being arranged in sets and operable respectivelyinopposite directions, and means for locking one or other of the sets ofabutments in inoperative position.

3. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having annulargrooves near its opposite ends, a drum disposed in the cylinder, enddisks forming a part of the drum and adapted to said annular grooves,oppositely-facing piston-heads or abutments carried by the drum andoperable respectively in opposite directions, projecting blocks carriedby the abutments at the outer face of the drum, arms pivoted to theabutments and adapted to engage with such block to lock either set ofabutments in inoperative position, and areversing mechanism operativelyconnected to all of said arms.

4. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder having annulargrooves near its opposite ends, a drum disposed in said cylinder andprovided with peripheral recesses, oppositely-facing piston-heads orabutments arranged in said recesses and having projecting wing portionsof a length approximately equal to the length of the drum, end diskssecured to the piston or drum and fitting within said grooves, saiddisks having openings for the passage of the pivotal portions of thepiston-heads or abutments, blocks secured to said abutments, armspivoted on the abutments and adapted to engage said blocks, a main shaftcarrying the drum and provided with a helical groove or grooves, asleeve mounted on the shaft and having a plurality of annular grooves,an operatinggear engaging said sleeve, arms secured to the sleeve andadapted to the helical grooves of the shaft, a recessed ring mounted onthe shaft and adj ustable circumferentially thereof bysaid arms, andconnecting rods and links extending from said ring to the pivoted arms,substantially as specified.

5. The combination in a rotary engine, of the cylinder, adrum arrangedtherein and provided with peripheral recesses,oppositely-facingabutments arranged in said recesses and adapted for operative movementrespectively in opposite directions,and a manually-adjustable lockingand releasing device arranged externally of the cylinder forsimultaneously locking one set of abutments in inoperative position andfor releasing the opposite set of abutments and permitting the same toassume operative positions, substantially as specified.

6. The combination in a rotary engine, of I the cylinder, at revolubledrum therein, oppositely-facing piston-heads carried by said drum andadapted to operate respectively in opposite directions, a steam-chest,steamports extending therefrom to difierent portions of the cylinder, avalve arranged in the steam-chest and having a port movable intoalinement with either of the cylinder-ports for reversing the directionof movement of the I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as engine,a pair of exhaust-ports arranged at my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in opposite sides of the cylinder, valves for the presence oftwo witnesses.

governing the escape of steam through said REYNOLDS MAY. 5 ports, andmeans for connecting both of said Witnesses:

valves to the steam'valve, substantially as A. D. CAGE,

specified. W. P. Z. GERMAN.

